beardeddragonsfandomcom-20200215-history
Substrate
Perhaps among the most contentious issues in bearded dragon husbandry is substrate. There are many commercially available reptile substrates available. These range from mediocre to hazardous for bearded dragons. The best options, however, are not specifically marketed to bearded dragons. In order from best to worst, here are your options. I strongly recommend against the use of sand and other particulate substrates. This is especially true for any bearded dragon less than 16 inches in length, where the impaction risk is the highest. * Slate Tile: '''Slate-style ceramic tile is by far the best option for your bearded dragon. You will only need to purchase tiles once (unless you break one). These are readily available at a local or chain hardware store. The benefits of tile are that it is easy to clean, it keeps muscles toned due to its hard surface, and it keeps nails trim. Surprisingly, it is also fairly similar to the hard-packed earth of the native scrub desert environment of the bearded dragon. * '''Paper Towel/Newspaper: '''Paper towel or newspaper is another excellent option. When your dragon goes to the bathroom, you simply throw away the paper and replace it. Paper towel is preferable to newspaper as it is more absorbent. Newspaper also has a tendency to leave (perfectly harmless) ink stains on your dragon’s feet. * '''Non-Adhesive Shelf Liner: '''Another good choice is non-adhesive shelf liner. This is easy to wipe down and clean. It does need to be replaced regularly, as bearded dragons tend to scratch it up somewhat quickly. Luckily, it is not an expensive item. * '''Reptile Carpet: Reptile carpet is used with great frequency. Although it is a fairly safe substrate, it is fairly difficult to spot clean effectively. This often leads to bits of fecal matter remaining in the fibers, which can lead to bacterial or fungal blooms. To avoid this, it is best to purchase at least two reptile carpets, and run them through the washing machine as often as you can (no less than once a week per reptile carpet). I do not recommend reptile carpeting as a first choice for this reason. * Baked and Sifted Play Sand: '''This would be found at a hardware store. Although the fine sand particles are unlikely to cause digestive issues and impaction, they do pose a risk of bacterial and fungal blooms. Fecal matter quickly filters throughout the sand, which is impossible to prevent through spot cleaning. '' '' * '''Repti/CalciSand: These products are extremely dangerous to bearded dragons. Composed of calcium carbonate, dragons often feel the urge to eat it for extra calcium uptake. Unfortunately, calcium carbonate tends to neutralize stomach acid and clump when wet. This leads to serious impactions and other digestive issues. Furthermore, the same bacterial and fungal risks are present as with play sand. * Crushed Walnut Shell: This is perhaps the only thing more dangerous to a bearded dragon than CalciSand. The sanitation and impaction concerns are also present with crushed walnut shell. Of greater concern, however, is that the edges of the shell pieces can be extremely sharp. This has been known to causes cuts in the mouth and digestive tract of bearded dragons, often leading to death through internal bleeding. Do not use crushed walnut shell under any circumstances. * '''Other Substrates: '''Aspen bedding, wood chips, eco earth, and other options are not suitable for bearded dragons for a variety of reasons, including impaction and sanitation risks, humidity, and eye irritation.